Method of making bracelet links



Sept. 1, 1931. A. HADLEY 1,821,058

METHOD OF MAKING BRACELET LINKS Filed Jan. 24, 1931 5' 5 5 2 1 I I I 1: F b f D Q cent links and more particularly to links fabricated, the bar as awhole being indicated Patented Sept.1 193l s d 1, 21,958

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFl ART HADLEY, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOB, TO THE HADLEY COMPANY,

INC., OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, A CORPORATION OF RHODE ISLAND METHOD or MAKING BRACELET LINKS "Application filed .Tanuary 24, 1931. Serial no. 510,985.

This invention relates to flexible link bracevention as defined in the appended claims. lets of the type comprising a series of open- In the drawings,

centered or hollow links and connecting mem- Fig. l is a perspective view of a metal strip bers straddling the adjoining sides of adj aor bar from which my improved link may be plated with gold or other rare metal. by full and broken lines and a strip suitably The usual'practice of making link bracelets cut for the formation of a single link being involves stamping the link units from sheet shown by full lines;

stock and then smoothing the edges and Fig. 2 is a plan view of the bent-up link at 19 polishing the surfaces. This procedure not an intermediate stage of its manufacture; 60 only involves considerable waste of stock but Fig. 8 is a plan view of the finished link; it is wholly unsuited to plated stock for the Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view of a reason that the peripheries of the stamped bracelet comprising a series of the links of units would of course not be plated. Theo- Fig. 3; and I 7 l5 retically itwould be possible to form links Fig. 5 is an enlarged section on line 55 65 from bar stock plated on all sides but this of Fig. 4. would not be practicalfor the reason that the In the illustrated embodiment of my invenbending operations necessary to shape the tion, the bar 6 consists of a single length of links would deform the stock 'sufliciently to sheet metal or flattened wire stock of suitrequire heavy swaging "operations which able character and flexibility. The stock is 7 wouldmake the plating too thin in spots. generally rectangular in cross-section and is Objects of the present invention are to propreferably smooth finished on its four sides. vide a bracelet construction in which plated From this straight bar individual strips such stock may be used with little waste, without as shown by the full lines of 1. are preexposing unplated surfaces and wlthout any pared by severingthe bar transversely and '15 treatment afterthe bending operation which cutting away rectangular sections from one tends substantially to dislocate the plating. of its sides to provide longitudinally spaced To theattainment :of this purpose I prorecesses 7. The edges of the recessed portions pose to make the improved link from a narof the strip may be left in a rough condition row bar or strip of plated sheet metal or in order to save the expense of finishing the so fiattenedwire'bycutting relatively small seccut surfaces, as indicated in the drawings: tions from one side of the strip and bending and it will be apparent that this practice will the strip upon itself toprovide an open-cennot impair the appearance of the finished link tered link of rectangular or other appropriate bracelet.

shape, with the ends of the metal substan- The strip thus prepared is next shaped to tially abutting each other at one side of the the general contour of the ultimate link by g link. Several of such individual pieces may bending the recessed or narrowed portions 8 easily be cut from a single length of the maand 8" thereof inwardly toward. the rough terial, and the forming operations may be sides of the spaced projections 9 formed by performed byhand or by suitable machinery cutting the'side recesses 7, the proiect-ions at relativelyslight expense and without subserving, in effect, as mandrels about which the stantially deforming any of the exposed surflexible portions of the metal strip are bent. faces of the links. Because of the projections 9 the corners of the The accompanying drawings illustrate the resulting rectangle are detormed so little that I 5 production of a recommended type of braceonly'a light or rolling operation. if 90 let link in accordance with this invention, any is required to flatten the corners. This butit will be understood that the method and operation also closes any gaps'or seams which the resulting product may be varied in opera may appear at 10 between the wide ends 9 v tion or design to suit particular purposes and the relatively narrow sides 8 of the link,

without departing from the essence of my inand these seams are scarcely discernible in the finished'link in Fig. 8, appearing only as faint lines 13.

It will be observed that the projections 9 are formed at spaced intervals intermediate the ends of the strip 6, and that the ends 8 of the strip are bent into abutting relation at one side of the link, as indicated at 11. It is also apparent that the unfinished surfaces of intermediate connectors 12 (Figs l and 5) customarily employed for this purpose surround the side members 8 of the interconnected links. In accordance with common practice the connectors 12 may comprise a flat piece ofvmetal bent over and encircling the adjoining sides of adjacent links of the bracelet, and in the present instance the transverse dimension of the connector preferably approximately equal .to the corresponding dimension of the openin 14 in the link.

From the forecoing it is apparent that my improved process consists essentially 1n the formation of an open-centered braceletlink shaped from a single length of metal by cutting longitudinally spaced, substantially rectangular recesses 7 from one side of the metal strip to provide the projections 9 spaced from each other and from the ends of the strip, and

by thence bending the strip transversely about said projections to bring its ends into opposed or abutting relationship, as at 11, and to carry the narrow or side portions 8 and 8 into jLlX- taposition with the rough edges of the projections or wide ends 9. The further step of lightly rolling or swaging the surfaces of thelink to flatten its corners and to close the seams 13 at the corners of the central opening 14% (Fig. while optional, is a desirable and recommended final step'of the process and results in the production of a finished link of pleasing contour and appearance.

The completed link is thus extremelyeasy and economical to manufacture, yet it is substantially as durable in use and as attractive in appearance as a link fabricated by more expensive methods. As above explained, when the links are interconnectedby intermediate members surrounding their adjoining side portions, the rough edges and the joint between the abutting ends of the metal unequally redistributingthe plating material.

I claim:

1. A method of making a bracelet link which comprises cutting longitudinally spaced recesses in one side of a metal strip to provide spaced projections disposed intermediate the ends of the strip, and bending the strip. transversely about the said projections to bring theends of thestrip into opposled relation at oneside ofan open-centered lin r.

. 2. A method of making a bracelet link which comprises cutting longitudinally spaced recesses in one side of a metal strip to provide spaced projections disposed intermediate the ends of the strip, bending the strip transversely, about the said projections to bring the ends of the strip into opposed relation at one side of an open-centered link, and swaging the surfaces of the'linkto flatten the corners thereof. I I

8. A method of making a bracelet link from a straight strip of metal, which comprises cutting longitudinally spaced, substantially rectangular recesses in one side of the strip to provide a pair of similar rectangular projections spaced from each other and from the ends of'the-strip, and bending the strip transversely, about, said projections to bring its ends into abutting relation at one side of an open-centered link with the side edges .of the said projections juxtaposed to the inner surfaces of the side portions of the link." V

4. A in ethod-of making a braceletlink from a straight strip of metal,-'which comprises cutting longitudinally spaced, substantially rectangularrecesses in one side of the strip to provide a pair of similar rectangular projections spaced from each other and from the ends of tliejstrip, and bending the strip transversely about said projections to bring its ends intoabutting relation at one side of an open-centered link with the side edges of the said projections juxtaposed to the inner surfaces of the side'portionsof the link, and rolling thesurfaces of'thej link to flatten the corners thereofand close the seams between said juxtaposedfsurfaces.

Signed by me at Providence, RhodeIsland, this 10th day of December, 1930; 7

V ART HADLEY strip are effectively. concealed, so that the economical production of the bracelet is not apparent to the casual'observer. 7

From the foregoing it will be evldent that this invention permits the use of plated stock without much waste, without exposing unplated edges and without dislocating or v 

